Climate-focused PAC Targets Republican Candidates with MAGA-themed Ads
The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, funded largely by tech investor Chris Larsen, has run advertisements labeling several GOP office-seekers as “MAGA traitors.”
Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, a climate-oriented political group, derives more than 88 % of its $6.78 million funding from billionaire Chris Larsen, who also backed a Kamala Harris-aligned PAC with a $1 million cryptocurrency donation. The group has launched a series of ads that brand Republican contenders—including Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Andy Ogles of Tennessee and Chip Roy of Texas—as “MAGA traitors” for opposing renewable-energy incentives.
Contributions from former DOE loan-program officials Mark McCall ($200,000) and Jigar Shah ($50,000), as well as Sierra Club veteran Michael Brune, underscore its clean-energy backing. The PAC spent $2 million on Ogles, $650,000 on Roy and plans a further $1 million push against Norman, who is now running for the Senate seat held by Darlene Graham. While it has also considered targeting other GOP office-holders, those candidates have largely survived. The organization declined to comment on its strategy or Larsen’s role in candidate selection.
Why it matters
The campaign shows how climate groups are using partisan rhetoric to influence Republican primaries and shape energy policy.
How this story developed
- Aug 8 GOP Senate Primary in South Carolina Narrows as Candidates Trade Poll Leads
- Aug 14 Rep. Russell Fry announced his endorsement of Darline Graham.
- Aug 17 Nikki Haley announced support for Norman, breaking with President Trump's backing of Graham Nordone.
- Aug 17 Rep. Warren Davidson posted on X that Sen. Darline Graham is aligned with the political establishment, as she prepares for a runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman.
- Aug 19 The candidates faced off in a televised debate at the Newberry Opera House.
- Aug 19 Graham’s debate comments have become a focal point in the runoff campaign.
- Aug 19 Ralph Norman secured the Republican Senate nomination, ending Darline Graham’s campaign.
- Aug 20 Graham told “Hannity” that many voters cannot locate Taiwan on a map.
- Aug 21 Donald Trump appeared at a Myrtle Beach rally backing Sen. Darline Graham, prompting Republican operatives in swing states to question his allocation of support.
- Aug 21 Trump made an in‑person appearance to endorse Graham ahead of the runoff.
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